I'm a fan of reusing packaging whenever possible, but giving my pregnant sister-in-law a truffle box that doesn't contain truffles would have me banned (quite deservedly) from Thanksgiving dinner. The solution - use that box that's just the right size, but dress it up a bit.
With a small box like this, you can get away with using a single fat quarter - available at every good fabric shop and quite a few of the chain craft stores (Michael's, A.C. Moore) these days. It needs to be a good quality sturdy box, not one that's collapsible. You'll also need glue, scissors and either pinking shears or a sewing machine.
Let's get started! Measure the top of the box - you'll need fabric to cover the outside, the inside depth and a little bit across the top/bottom. Cut the right size, tack down the corners with glue for a few minutes and then glue down the sides. 
Measure across the width and length on the outside of the top and bottom and, if you're using a sewing machine, add 1/2 inch to each dimension. If you're using pinking shears, just cut it along the dimensions. If you're sewing, press in 1/4 inch on each edge, then stitch 1/8 inch.
Finally, glue down the interior top/bottom pieces. Don't use too much glue, because it can come up through the fabric. Just use a little and use binder clips to hold the fabric in place while the glue dries.
The finished result - an excellent reusable box that doesn't look like what it used to be and is lovely and useful enough to be regifted many, many times!
1 comment:
What a great idea! So much easier than covering it with paper. We never throw out a gift box in this house...I think I still have some of my grandma's xmas gift boxes and she's been off this earth for 10 years! I'm sure she'd appreciate them getting some new life.
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